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Shelf of Shame: Comedy Edition – Ben Flanagan

The Shelf of Shame. In each installment, one of our FilmNerds contributors will reveals any number of indisputable classic titles that for some inexplicable reason we have not yet seen. In an attempt to earn back the respect of their fellow FilmNerds, we set out to see all of these films some time in the next six months (we felt that was a fair interval, even for the busiest of nerds) at which point we’ll check in with them to see how we did. In fact, Ben Stark updated is 2014 edition this week with “The Great Escape.

Instead of picking five general film classics, I’m going genre and embarking on The Shelf of Shame: Comedy Edition.

And I’m going with 10 titles for this one. With my first Shelf go-around, I’d at least seen bits and pieces of each title before finally sitting down and watching from beginning to end. As is the case with most comedies, that remains true for this list, aside from a few I’ve literally seen nothing of beyond trailers.

While this might feel like a homework assignment to some, I genuinely want to see all 10 of these movies, and have wanted to for most of my life? Why haven’t I? Just haven’t gotten around to it. Sad excuse, I know. But here goes.

SOME LIKE IT HOT (greatest comedy ever? need to see more Billy Wilder)

MEATBALLS (set Bill Murray’s film career in motion, created a legend)

A SHOT IN THE DARK (many including my dad call the best Pink Panther)

SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (need to see more Preston Sturges)

MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE (seen the other Python, gotta complete it)

EDDIE MURPHY RAW (is this the best standup movie ever?)

MIDNIGHT RUN (always stared at me in video stores)

THE APARTMENT (again with the Wilder, plus a best picture winner I haven’t seen)

WITHNAIL & I (gotta represent the cult classics, one I just keep hearing about)